The kids can have their trick-or-treating. The parents will be pre-gaming

There was a solid stretch of years when our kids were very, very into Halloween. At any moment, no matter the month, they’d know what they wanted to dress up as the next year. As soon as the last Butterfinger was down the hatch, our girls, now 12 and 14, would start plotting whether to be Hermione or a vampire cheerleader or Little Orphan Annie.

Over the years their enthusiasm has tempered slightly, but that doesn’t mean their parents have moved on. We still hang the old ghost by the front door and plant the flashing eyeballs in the bushes. On the day itself, we take the afternoon off to help apply fake blood and green hairspray—and to prep for our annual Halloween Launch Party. It’s a fuss-free dinner, a chance for everyone to gather before the real fun begins.

Our house happens to be located in some prime trick-or-treating territory. Down the street, one couple serves hot cider and fresh popcorn in their driveway. Up the block, an actress turns her garage into a witch’s den. Across the street, spooky music pours out of speakers. We love all this for many reasons, but mainly because it means that the kids, the kids’ friends, and all the kids’ parents want to kick off the night in the center of the action—namely our house. (Hello, Halloween photo op!)

We’re big on these kinds of annual rituals in our family. We find they are a source of comfort and connection for our daughters, they offer major bang for the buck in the memory-making department, and of course they are almost always centered around feeding people. All the better when those people are dressed like Steph Curry and Tintin.

If it sounds like a recipe for chaos, fear not. Halloween hosting is relatively stress-free because (a) people are wearing Gandalf robes, and (b) no one cares what you serve as long as it can be eaten quickly. We don’t even set a table. We just make a big pot of chili, leave it on the stovetop, and arrange a bunch of fixings so visitors can help themselves. The party lasts about a half hour—just long enough for the kids to consume something somewhat healthy (so, not Milk Duds) and for the grown-ups to consume something boozy (so, bourbon) before we send them out into the streets. Nothing to be scared of at all.